A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. (Pr 25:11)

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Election 2016

In the Bible story of Jesus’ crucifixion, the crowd is given the choice of Barabas or Jesus. They all screamed for Barabas. What about Jesus? They shouted for him to be crucified. In this year’s presidential election, there is no Jesus in the choices. There is only Barabas #1 or Barabas #2.

Political culture in the last several decades, even longer perhaps, has been completely hypocritical. At the very least, we have had several philanderers and probably worse in the White House since the 1940’s. However, as long as they have kept silent and kept their misdeeds completely out of the public view and earshot, we have turned a blind eye to it.

The entertainment culture in America has been completely hypocritical as well. Hollywood churns out pornography faster than they do decent movies. Now, it is available at the touch of anyone’s fingertips, including the fingertips of your children as they navigate the web on their personal computers. We eat up salacious news about the latest starlets while paparazzi hound the rich and famous, trying to get the most brazen photographs.

So, now we have a choice between a crook (at best) and a lewd (at best) person for our next president. Why are we now suddenly shouting, “Foul?!” Each side proclaims the other’s failings with self-righteous clamorings. Do we deserve better after having allowed the other to go on unhindered for decades? How did these two get past the primaries and the national conventions? Their misdeeds were already known at those times. Shouldn’t the political process weed out the unworthy? It’s America’s choice because America has already chosen to allow it. We have allowed it in our politicians, our entertainers, our priests (up to a certain point) and our elite. We made excuses for the rich and famous and coined phrases such as “boys will be boys.”

Why are we surprised and outraged when someone who has been served up as entertainment for decades is now in the political limelight doing exactly the same things that we lapped up in the gossip magazines?